Kent man accused of threatening Trump, synagogues, reporters

A 27-year-old Kent man is in federal custody for allegedly making interstate threats in online posts regarding members of President Donald Trump’s family as well as ongoing threats to bomb synagogues and threats against media figures in Southern California.

The FBI, U.S. Secret Service and Kent Police arrested Chase Bliss Colasurdo without incident on Wednesday during a traffic stop, according to an U.S. Department of Justice news release. He has been charged with two counts of making interstate threats and had his first appearance on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center in SeaTac.

If found guilty as charged, Colasurdo could face up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release, according to the Department of Justice.

According to the criminal complaint, a member of the public in March reported to the FBI concerns about Instagram and other social media posts where Colasurdo threatened to execute Donald Trump Jr., and Jared Kushner, senior advisor to his father-in-law. Additionally, Colasurdo sent messages to five media organizations that he was going to execute the family member.

Colasurdo posted a photo on Instagram showing a hand with a firearm pointed at the photo of a Trump family member. When initially contacted by law enforcement in March, Colasurdo claimed his social media accounts had been hacked.

Despite his statements that he was not responsible for the posts, Colasurdo continued to make threatening comments, specifically threats to members of the Jewish community, according to court documents. In one post he wrote it was time to start “bombing synagogues.” As law enforcement continued to track his activity, it became clear he was purchasing various items related to firearms such as a holster, bulletproof vest and ammunition.

Colasurdo attempted to purchase a Sig Sauer SP2022 9mm semi-automatic pistol on April 3 but was denied due to a flag entered by the U.S. Secret Service into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. He made a payment at a Sportsman’s Warehouse and on April 16 received an email from the store confirming the refund of his $549 purchase.

Agents executed a state search warrant at Colasurdo’s Kent home on Wednesday and found the following items, according to court documents:

• Bulletproof baseball cap

• Level IIIA bulletproof vest T-shirt concealable kevlar body armor

• Level III rifle plates rifle armor

• Level II rifle armor backpack

• Concealable gun holster for a Sig Sauer SP2022 handgun

• Six boxes containing 50 rounds and another 345 rounds of 9mm ammunition

• 9mm firearm magazine loaded with rounds of 9mm ammunition

• Unloaded 9mm firearm magazine

• Firearm accessories, including optics and LED laser mounts

• Three firearm holsters

• Multiple airsoft firearms

• Night vision goggles

• Gas mask

• Nazi flag with swastika

• Framer portrait of Adolph Hitler

• Books including “Hitler’s Revolution” and “The Protocols of Learned Elders of Zion”

The criminal history of Colasurdo includes two arrests for assault on separate occasions in 2015. One involved the assault of a kickboxing business owner in Kirkland. He told the arresting officers he had smoked meth and marijuana and drank alcohol prior to the assault. As a result, officers took him to a hospital for treatment.

While at the hospital, Colasurdo grabbed at a police officer’s gun with his left hand attempting to remove the gun from the holster. Colasurdo’s right hand was handcuffed to the bed rail. The officer grabbed Colasurdo’s hand and Colasurdo tried to kick the officer in the face before hospital security helped the officer restrain him.

King County records show the assault case was diverted to King County Mental Health Court, and that Colasurdo pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fourth-degree assault and malicious mischief.

This story originally appeared in the Kent Reporter, a sibling paper to the Herald.

Talk to us

You can tell us about news and ask us about our journalism by emailing newstips@heraldnet.com or by calling 425-339-3428.

If you have an opinion you wish to share for publication, send a letter to the editor to letters@heraldnet.com or by regular mail to The Daily Herald, Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.